He’s resurrected his career and developed into one of the most feared front-rowers in the world, but Junior Paulo says he never would have become that player had it not been for a short but timely stint in the nation’s capital.
Paulo made his NRL debut at the Eels in 2013, which was also the only year Ricky Stuart coached Parramatta before the Canberra legend decided to move back home.
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The hulking prop played another two seasons in Sydney’s west, but midway through 2016 he was in the car with all his belongings off to become a Raider as the Eels battled with the salary cap and Paulo battled with the pressures and temptations of living in Sydney.
His stint in Canberra didn’t last long and he was back in Parramatta for the start of the 2019 season, but this time he was a changed man.
“I’m certainly a lot more mature,” Paulo said.
“Part of that road trip down the highway down to Canberra was part of helping me grow up away from the footy field. It certainly put me in the position that I’m fortunate enough to be in now.
“If I didn’t make that move, I’m probably not here.”
Paulo and the Eels will face Canberra on Friday night in an elimination final that Parramatta must win after years of failing to progress past the second week of the post-season.
It’s fitting that Paulo and Stuart will again cross paths given they both benefited from being in Canberra.
“It’s probably stressful when you’re away from family, and I was kind of in a similar situation when I had to move down there,” said Paulo, who noticed how calm Stuart was compared with his early days at Parramatta.
“Ricky had to move back to Canberra where he was able to set up with his family all down there. It definitely makes it a lot easier. I’m sure Ricky will be looking forward to the battle knowing that it’s Parramatta.”
Ten weeks before Paulo made his Raiders debut, another emerging star pulled on the famous green jersey for the first time after two seasons in Newcastle.
Joseph Tapine came with big raps, but it’s taken a few years for him to develop into one of the most dominant forwards in the game.
The 28-year-old is only a few months younger than Paulo and has all the talent and physical prowess to lead New Zealand to World Cup glory in a few months.
He and Josh Papalii were unstoppable last week and were the reason the Raiders outlasted the Storm for the fifth time in a row in Melbourne.
Tapine (203) and Papalii (160) were the only Raiders players to finish with more than 90m, while Tapine also had three line-break assists and set up a try.
A lot of their attack comes through the pair, with Tapine producing the second most offloads this season, while Papalii is ninth.
The Eels are the best team in the competition in that stat, but Paulo knows they must stop Tapine if they are to qualify for a preliminary final showdown in Townsville.
“You’ve got to be able to stop their offloads. Both teams love attacking through their middles, so it’s about rising up to the challenge,” he said.
“He’s been outstanding and was rewarded with an international jersey and getting to lead his country.
“It’s something he’s doing really well for the Raiders. He’s been a real leader and you could see that from the time when I was down there with the traits he has away from the footy field.
“We always knew how good of a player he was. He’s really found that consistency and we have to stop him because they’ve been playing some good football off the back of the platform he’s been laying.”
